'Our business has been devastated': Capital City Luggage in Ottawa closes Saturday

Capital City Luggage is closing Saturday after 36 years in business. Owners Linda and Murray Greenberg said the COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest factor. (Katie Griffin/CTV Ottawa)

OTTAWA — While many businesses celebrated being able to reopen with more eased restrictions Friday, Capital City Luggage in Wellington West is preparing to close.

"We've been here 36 years," said Linda Greenberg who owns the store with her husband Murray. "Wellington West has been a wonderful area to be in, wonderful customers, very loyal customers."

Greenberg says the COVID-19 pandemic that brought travel to a halt was the biggest factor.

"Our industry's been hit terribly," she said. "We've lost suppliers, the rents regretfully, people just aren't travelling and we don't anticipate them travelling for another year so it's time."

The store along Wellington Street West is one of the largest independent luggage retail and repair shops in the country.

"If you were gonna go travelling this is where you wanted to be," said long-time customer Peggy Follis. "I'm sad, it's an icon in this neighbourhood."

Items like luggage, travel accessories and clothing are all marked down.

"I'm going to have to find somewhere else and I'm not really up to doing that right now so what I've done is stock up on their sales," said another long-time customer Eileen Duffin.

The Greenberg's are not ruling out reopening sometime in the future.

"Our daughter, Amanda, she's trained as a repair technician as well, so hopefully if she opens up in a year or so we'll just go work for her," said Greenberg laughing.

"I wish them well and thank them for their service and their expertise through the years that we've needed them," said Follis.